Part two of my wishful thinking series is going to focus on Jeremy Bonderman of the Detroit Tigers.
Bonderman was drafted out of high school at the ripe age of 18 in the summer of 2001. He signed with Oakland on August 22, 2001 and was on his way to camp. He was in an A's uniform exactly one year when he was traded with Carlos Pena, and Franklyn German to the Tigers in a three team trade. That trade brought in Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold from the Yankees, and cash from the Tigers. Bonderman was so low on that list that he was actually the "player to be named later" in that trade.
Being traded to Detroit was a good and a bad thing for Bonderman. It was good, because Detroit was so horrible at the time that it was easy for him to get a shot on the team. The bad thing is that he went 6-19 with a 5.56 ERA in his rookie season of 2003. That also happened to be the year that Detroit lost 119 games as a team, so Bonderman himself had about 1/6 of the losses. However, Mike Maroth top him with 21 losses, Nate Cornejo had 17, and Adam Bernero had 12. 69 losses between four pitchers!!
The 2004 season was much better for both the Tigers and for Bonderman. He went 11-13 with a 4.89 ERA on a team that won 29 more games than the season before. At the age of 21, things were starting to look better. The potential that Oakland saw was being realized and Bonderman looked to improve the next year. In 2005, Bonderman posted a 14-13 record and his ERA went down to 4.57 on a team that actually won one less game than the season before. Here is a 22 year old man improving on a team that looked to be in decline.
The 2006 season proved to be a good one for the Tigers and for Jeremy Bonderman. Going 14-8 with an ERA of 4.08, he also topped the 200 innings pitched mark and the 200 strikeout mark. Detroit made it all the way to the World Series where they were beaten in five games by the St. Louis Cardinals.
This season, Bonderman is 10-5 with a 4.75 ERA. He had some injury problems during the season and that has held him back a little in his progress, but at the age of 24, he is well on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in the American League.
Why did he have to be the "player to be named later?"
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For all of the smart moves Billy Beane has made this has to rank up there with the worst. If you've ever ready 'Moneyball' there are a few passages about Beane's dislike for Bonderman in it. Bonderman got the best end of the deal because now he's with a franchise that respects and appreciates him.